At a fund-raiser in the East Side townhouse of her chief promoter and donor, Sally Minard, on June 30, Representative Carolyn Maloney proudly announced to the crowd that former president Bill Clinton would be headlining a fund-raiser for her in July.

The Maloney camp acknowledged that the event was scheduled well before her decision to challenge Gillibrand, but also suggested that it would serve as a meaningul boon to the campaign.

"Certainly it's a good thing to have the president do an event for her," said Maloney's chief strategist (and, apparently, lone staffer at this point), Joe Trippi. "He's a major attraction. It is meaningful to the campaign and to her."

The aide said, "The former president believes that Senator Gillibrand is doing a good job as senator and this type of thank-you event, and any other he may do, should not be read as an endorsement or un-endorsement."